Here are the smart bulbs that work with Alexa - CNET

2022-08-08 07:00:21 By : Mr. Sam Lee

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Want Alexa to control your light bulbs? You'll need to upgrade to one of these.

You've long been able to turn your smart lights on and off using Alexa , Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant, and by now, you've got a lot of options for which bulbs to use. Click through for a look at your growing list of options if you're looking to upgrade.

First up, the TP-Link LB100. At just $20, it's one of your cheapest options, using Wi-Fi to talk directly to your home network, meaning you don't need to pair it with a hub. A version with extra brightness costs $5 more, and a color-tunable version with multiple white light tones sells for $35.

At $15, the Cree Connected LED is even cheaper. It uses Zigbee instead of Wi-Fi, though. That means you'll need an Alexa-compatible hub, such as the Wink hub shown here, in order to let Alexa control it. You can also connect it directly with the Amazon Echo Plus , an Alexa smart speaker with its own built-in Zigbee radio.

Same goes for the GE Link LED, another $15 smart bulb that uses Zigbee.

The Osram Lightify line of smart LEDs uses Zigbee too. This one costs $30.

You'll need to pair those Osram lights with the Osram plug-in gateway. It translates the Zigbee signal into Wi-Fi that your router -- and Alexa -- can work with.

Osram recently spun off its smart lighting brand Ledvance, which now sells Zigbee smart bulbs under the Sylvania brand name (it's confusing, I know). The good news: This Alexa-compatible lineup of Zigbee smart bulbs offers a variety of shapes and sizes, and starts at just $12 each.

Maybe your weirdest-looking Zigbee option: These Nanoleaf Ivy bulbs, which put the light-emitting diodes on the outside of a geometric jigsaw build. Along with Alexa, they also work with Siri and the Google Assistant.

The same goes for Nanoleaf's color-changing "Aurora" light panels. Aside from Alexa's voice controls, you can sync them up with your music for a rhythmic light show in your living room.

Soon, Nanoleaf will also begin selling square-shaped light panels with built-in touch controls. And yep, they'll work with Alexa.

Another name to know: Eufy. It's Anker's smart home-centric offshoot brand, and one of the offerings is an Alexa-compatible smart bulb called the Lumos LED that costs just $20. It's a good pick for smartening up a lamp on the cheap, and since it connects with your home network using Wi-Fi, it doesn't require a hub.

Of course, you could also just get a whole new lamp with smarts already built in. That's the idea with the funky-looking Sol from GE -- not only does it work with Alexa, but it has Alexa built into the base, like its own little Amazon Echo.

If you're more old-fashioned, GE's Bluetooth smart LEDs work with Alexa now. But you'll need a plug-in hub to help them hop on board your Wi-Fi network.

The Lifx Color 1000 uses a Wi-Fi radio, so it doesn't need a hub to communicate with Alexa. It costs $60, but it offers full controls. Alexa can change the color of the bulb, too, or even trigger your pre-programmed lighting scenes. ("Alexa, turn on party mode!")

If $60 is too much for you, consider the $40 Life White 800, which is just as smart and just as Alexa-friendly. It cuts the colors and costs $20 less, but still offers color-tunability, letting you dial between warm, yellowy tones and hot, bluish-white ones.

If you have recessed light fixtures in your ceiling, then know that Lifx also offers a $50 floodlight version of its color-changing smart bulb.

The Lifx White 900 is a bit cheaper at $30 apiece. No colors, but again, you get that full white light spectrum, and compatibility with Alexa.

The newest generation of Lifx bulbs, called Lifx Mini LEDs, cost a little less than before. They're just as smart but not quite as bright, and worth a look if you like Alexa-enabled lighting changes.

We're also eagerly awaiting the new Lifx Tile wall panels. Each one features an 8x8 grid of programmable, color-changing lights -- an eyebrow-raising way to add some geeky ambiance into your home. You'll be able to control them using all three major voice assistants -- Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant.

Another color-changing option: Philips Hue. Its full-color flagship smart bulbs work great with Alexa.

If the colors don't matter that much to you, consider downgrading to the Philips Hue White Ambiance LED. At $30, they're less expensive than the full-color Hue bulbs, but just as compatible with Alexa. And, like those Lifx white bulbs, they can change color temperatures.

Your cheapest Philips Hue option is the Hue White LED. No Ambiance here, it's a white-light bulb with a fixed color temperature of 2,700 K. But hey, it works with Alexa, and it only costs $15.

Just keep in mind that with all of these Philips bulbs, you'll need the Hue Bridge plugged into your router. That means you'll probably want to start by buying a starter kit instead of an individual bulb.

Your best bet? The Philips Hue White starter kit. It's the cheapest entry point to Hue at $70, and it comes with two of those fixed-temperature Hue White bulbs. If you want to add additional bulbs to your setup, that's an option.

Philips also offers a floodlight version of its color-changing bulb that costs $50.

Sengled makes smart bulbs that work with Alexa, too. The color-changing Element Color Plus LED uses Zigbee to broadcast its signals -- starting in March, you'll be able to pair it directly with the Zigbee-equipped Amazon Echo Plus .

The Wiz LED is another color-changing option that works with Alexa. It isn't as fancy as Lifx or Hue, but the two-bulb starter kit does come with its own physical remote.

Your fanciest option? The Haiku Light, from Big Ass Solutions (best known for its Big Ass Fans). It's a built-in recessed fixture with an integrated motion sensor, full color-tunability, very bright and Alexa compatibility. It's expensive, though: Lights start at $149 and go up to $299, depending on what kind of trim you get.

Insteon's smart home platform works with Alexa -- and that includes its line of Insteon LEDs. This one sells for $30.

Just remember that you'll need the Insteon Hub plugged into your router in order for everything to work.